Dogs show signs of mourning after loss of canine companions
WASHINGTON
Dogs are deeply affected by the deaths of canine companions, eating and playing less and seeking attention more following a loss, a large scientific study said on Feb. 24.
Signs of grief have previously been reported across many species, including great apes, whales, dolphins, elephants and birds.
Among the canid family, there were some prior indications: some wild wolves have been reported burying the carcasses of two-week-old pups, and a dingo mother had been observed transporting its deceased pup to different locations in the days following its death.
But the evidence was overall sparse, and, when it came to domestic dogs, confined to anecdotal reports from owners, which run the risk of anthropomorphism and over-stating the case.
The new study, published in the Nature journal Scientific Reports, involved a survey completed by 426 Italian adults who owned at least two dogs, one of whom had died while the other was alive.
Negative changes were reported by 86 percent of owners, with a quarter saying these lasted longer than
six months.
The researchers found that the length of time the two dogs had lived together was not an important factor in determining grief -- rather it was the quality of the relationship the pair had shared that mattered.
